She made it! Mom's last long/tough day today before getting off the trail tomorrow, and she finished it out strong to a round of applause from Burning Boots and J-Bird, who were waiting to greet us at the shelter. Only an easy 5 miles remains on Mom's trek, and even despite her blisters she made it through all of it with flying colors. When it's all done tomorrow, she will have come 77.0 miles, an incredible feat for someone who's never hiked such a continuous stretch.
Maupin Field
The toughest day of Mom's entire week out with me, and she did great--blisters and all. Thanks to some Core-ban and extra Compeed from Burning Boots and J-Bird, Mom was able to pad her heel blisters a lot better for today's 3000' descent, immediately followed by a 3000' ascent.
The Priest
Decided to take it easy today after yesterday's longer day to ease Mom's blisters while I ducked into Montebello to get our 3-day resupply. Ended up running into Nails and Scarf getting a ride back up to the trail from Lois, owner of the Dutch Haus B&B in town.
North Forks of Piney River
The second big long climb of Mom's trip, and she really did awesome today. Lots of flowers and green spring growth to see today, including my first sighting of a Jack-in-the-Pulpit. Also learned about Jewelweed today from Dead Man Walking and Love Bug--a plant with dull serrated leaves like a Beech tree leave, whose stem can be used as an antidote for Poison Ivy.
Brown Mt. Creek
Well, Mom made it through her first day just fine, so we kept on chugging along today. Started a bit late this morning, but I knew the trail would be a lot easier today--mostly downhill and flat with a couple of gentle climbs mixed in. Stretched the day out with a couple of nice long stops by a few of the stream crossings today, taking our time to relax, have a snack, and soak our feet in the cold water.
Punchbowl
Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there! Said goodbye to dad this morning, and mom and I started off on our week-long hike together. The weather was again quite hot for hiking, especially when my mom's first taste of the trail was a 2200-foot climb over the first 5 miles or so. It was tough, but she did great pulling into the shelter after a long bit of uphill on her first day out.
US 501 Zero Day
My mom and dad are here! Got a hitch from the campground into town this morning and waited at the laundromat for them to arrive. Spent a very short day getting groceries, eating lunch and dinner, running to the outfitter, and getting my mom's pack ready for her week-long adventure with me on the trail. How many moms choose to vacation by hiking the AT for a week, not to mention starting out on Mother's Day?